Fish lure



Allg. 25, 1942. B, FA|RFAX 2,294,081

FISH LURE Filed June l0, 19,41

@Taf- ATORNEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1942 FATE @FICE Claims.

This invention relates to sh lures and has particular reference to thatspinner type of lure wherein a blade and a hook are hingedly connectedtogether at their forward ends and are adapted to rotate in unison asthe lure is drawn through the water.

An important object of the present invention isto provide improved meanswhereby the blade and hook may be quickly anchored to each other in afixed relation, thus enabling one at will to transform the lure from aspinner type bait into a wobbler type bait, the anchoring means beingsuch, of course, that it may also be quickly released, at will, when itis desired to re-convert the lure into a spinner type bait and beingalso such that a iish upon delivering a strike will effect its releaseso as to obviate any leverage that the blade might otherwise aiiord theiish in its eort to free itself from the hook.

Another object of the invention is to make readily possible severalvariations in assembly relationship of the hook and blade which are suchas will enable the lure, when employed as a wobbler type bait, tooperate in a distinct manner in each instance. y

Further objects of the invention are to provide improved means wherebythe hook is maintained atall times in a right angle relationship to theblade; and to provide improved means whereby a'pork-rind strip, or theequivalent of suchs may :i

be readily attached to and detached from the lure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description when taken in connection with the ac- Il,

companying drawing in Which- Fig. 1 is a view showing in elevation afish lure embodying the invention and conditioned for operation as aspinner;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to that of Fig. 1 and showing the lureconditioned to function as a wobbler type bait, the hook and blade beingillustrated in one of several possible assembly relationships Fig. 3 isa view similar to that of Fig. 1 and showing the lure conditioned tofunction as a wobbler type bait, the hook and blade being illustrated inanother one of several possible assembly relationships;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blade appearing in Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the connector head which is shown in Figs.l to 3 and by which the hook and blade are maintained in an assembledrelation;

Fig. 6 is a fragmental view showing the connector head frictionallyretained, as in Figs. 2 and 3, in a given position with relation to theshank of the hook;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the connector head and such portion of the hookas appears in Figure 6;

Fig. 8 is a View showing in elevation an appropriate type ofconventional link or snap for use as a blade retaining member and as amedium by which the lure may be conveniently attached to a fishing line.

Referring to the drawing, it will be observed that the lure embodyingthe present invention comprises essentially a hook I0 and a blade I2hingedly connected together at their forward ends, the hook-and-bladeunit being adapted to be attached to a iishing line I4 through themedium of a suitable connector, herein shown as comprising aconventional snap hook I5 in association with a sol-called barrel swivelI6.

As shown most clearly in Figures 6 and 7, the shank of the hook I0 is sobent as to provide a loop-eye I'I, having a rearwardly extending legportion serving as a spring nger I8 disposed in a parallel relation tothe hook shank and adapted to function in conjunction with such shank asa spring clamp for the purpose hereinafter more particularly described.The spring finger I8 is bent upwardly, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6,to provide a pin-like arbor 2li, which is disposed at right angles tothe shank of the hook and is adapted to receive a button-like elementssuch as a tubular rivet 2 I the cylindrical or body portion of which issuitably secured to the arbor in surrounding relation thereto and thehead portion of which is spaced a suitable distance from the hook shankfor the purpose which will hereinafter more clearly appear.

With the hook It there is associated a connector head 22, which,generally speaking, is L shaped in that it includes a retaining arm 24from which projects at substantially right angles thereto a keeper-lug25. 'I'he connector head 22 is provided at its front end with a pair ofopenings 26 and 2l, the former of which is located in the generalvicinity of the juncture of the retaining arm 24 and the keeper-lug 25and the latter of which is located at the lower end of the keeper-lug.As will be readily understood, the connector head 22 is assembled on thehoc-k I0 by passing the arbor 23 and the spring finger I8 through theopening 26 prior to placing the rivet 2I on the arbor. The relationshipof the hook III and connector head 22, when these ele ments areassembled, is such as to provide a hinge connection therebetween so asto permit the retaining arm 24 of the connector head to be moved at willinto and out of a position intermediate the hook shank and the springfinger I8, which shank and finger are so disposed with relation to eachother that they are adapted to impinge on the retaining arm andfrictionally hold it in its position shown in Figs. 2, 3, 6 and '7.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, it is to be noted that the blade I2 isprovided at its front end with a group of slots I, 2, 3, 4 and 5, slotsI, 2 and 3 being disposed on the longitudinal center line of the bladeat varying distances from the extreme front end thereof and slots 4 and5 being disposed oiT center with respect to said center line but intransverse alignment with the front slot I. Each of the slots I to 5 isof such dimensions that it will snugly receive the keeper-lug 25, withthe result that, when the lug is introduced into any one of these slots,the blade I2 will assume a contiguous relation to the underneath face ofthe retaining arm 24, in which relation the blade is maintained bypassing the spring arm of the snap I5 through the opening 2'I of theconnector head 22 and thereafter latching such arm in closed position,the latch and its associated swivel I6 being then adapted to ailord adependable connection between the line I4 and the lure as a whole.

It is to be observed that the lure may be conditioned for use as aspinner type bait, adapted to operate beneath the surface of the water,by utilizing the front slot I of the blade I2 in attaching that blade tothe connector head 22 and by so positioning the connector head as toafford a free hinge connection between itself and the eye of the hook asis clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. When the lure is employed as a spinnertype bait, there is a tendency for the blade I2, due to the pull exertedthereon by the line I4, to assume a substantially perpendicular relationto the general direction of pull on the line. However, as the lure ismoved through the water the blade I2 assumes an acute angle to thedirection of pull on the line I4, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and iscaused to rotate at that angle and in unison with the hook I0.

In order to transform the lure from a spinner type bait into a wobblertype bait, as shown in Fig. 2, which is adapted to operate on asubstantially even keel beneath the surface of the water, suchtransformation may be effected by simply moving the connector head 22into such a position with relation to the hook I0 that the retaining arm24 enters between and is engaged by the hook shank and its associatedspring finger I8, the hook shank and spring finger being so disposedwith relation to each other that they are adapted to impinge on theretaining arm with suiiicient force to frictionally hold it againstaccidental displacement. It is to be noted, however, that the retainingarm 24 may be readily released in order to transform the lure from awobbler type bait into a spinner type bait and may also be readilyreleased by a fish, incident to its delivery of a strike, so as topermit the blade to swing away from the shank of the hook and thusobviate any leverage that the blade might other- Wise afford the iish inits eiort to free itself from the hook.

In Fig. 3 the assembly relationship of the hook I0 and blade I2 issubstantially like that of Fig. 2 except for the fact that the slot 2 ofthe blade is utilized in connecting the blade to the hook. The

action of the lure of Fig. 3 is peculiar in that it 75 tends, whileundergoing a wobbling movement, to ride the surface of the water withits front end projecting out of the water, thus producing to some extenta skimming or so-called skittering effect.

By utilizing the slot 3 of the blade I2, an assembly relationship of thehook and blade, comparable with the assembly relationship described inconnection with Fig. 3, may be attained. However, by utilizing the slot3 a more pronounced tendency of the lure to ride the surface of thewater is realized and hence a more pronounced skimming or skitteringaction of the lure is elected.

By utilizing either the slot 4 or the slot 5 of the blade I2, anassembly relationship of the hook and blade may be established which iscomparable with the hook and blade relationship of Fig. 2. However,since each of the slots 4 and 5 is off center with respect to thelongitudinal center line of the blade I2, it follows that the pull ofthe line I4 will be exerted on the lure in an off center relation to theblade, with the result that the lure, as it is moved through the Waterin the general direction of pull exerted by the line, will veer to theright or the left, depending upon whether the slot 4 or the slot 5 isutilized, while undergoing an under-water Wobbling action like, orsubstantially like which is peculiar to the lure of Fig. 2.

Regardless of Whether the lure is conditioned for use as a spinner typebait or as a wobbler type bait, such lure is adapted for` use with aiiexible element, such as a pork-rind strip 28 or its equivalent. Thepork-rind strip 28 is herein illustrated as of conventional design inthat it is provided at its front end and at a point intermediate itsends with slots or apertures, not shown, the slot or aperture at thefront end being adapted to receive the button-like element or rivet 2 Iand the intermediate slot or aperture being adapted to receive thecurved end of the hook I0 so as to enable the strip to assume acontiguous relation to the shank of the hook while its front end iseffectively retained intermediate the hook shank and the rivet head.

It is to be observed that regardless of whether the lure is employed asa spinner type bait or as a wobbler type bait, the hook I0 and blade I2are at al1 times maintained in a right angle relation to each other soas to insure a greater probability of hooking a fish incident to thestrike than would be possible were the hook then tilted on itsshank-axis to some other and consequently less effective position. Thishighly important right-angle relationship of the hook I 0 and blade I2is insured by reason of the fact that the opening 26 of the connectorhead 22 is of such diameter, with relation to the diameter of the Wirefrom which the hook is formed, that the eye of the hook is held againstdisplacement on the axis of the hook shank even though the connectionafforded between the connector head and the eye of the hook is such asto afford a free hinge movement between the hook and blade as and forthe purpose described.

Although only one form of lure embodying the present invention is hereinshown and described, it will be understood that various changes may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention on the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A fish lure comprising a blade, a hook having a shank, and aconnection joining said blade and hook together at their front ends andincluding a connector head hingedly connected to said hook andsupporting said blade for movement toward and away from said shank whileretaining said hook against rotation with relation to said blade.

2. A sh lure comprising a blade, a hook having a shank, a connectionjoining said blade and hook together at their front ends and including aconnector head supported by said hook for movement about a pivot pointinto and out of a contiguous relation to said shank and supporting saidblade for like movement With relation to said shank; and retaining meansin direct association with said hook and adapted to engage said headwhen in a contiguous relation to said shank and there temporarily retainit together with said blade in such relation.

3. A sh lure comprising a blade, a hook having a shank, a connectionjoining said blade and hook together at their front ends and including aconnector head supported by said hook for movement about a pivot pointinto and out of a contiguous relation to said shank and supporting saidblade for like movement with relation to said shank, and retaining meansincluding a spring nger in direct association with said shank andcooperating therewith to engage said head when in a contiguous relationto said shank and there temporarily retain it together with said bladein such relation.

4. A iish lure comprising a blade having a plurality of openings, a hookadapted to be associated with said blade to effect a plurality ofdistinct assembly relationships corresponding in number to the number ofsaid openings, and a connector head carried by said hook and providedwith a retaining lug dimensioned to respectively enter said openings andcooperating with said blade to retain it in an assembled relation tosaid hook.

5. A sh lure comprising a blade having a plurality of openings, a hookadapted to be associated with said blade to eiect a plurality ofdistinct assembly relationships corresponding in number to the number ofsaid openings, a connector head carried by said hook and provided With aretaining lug dimensioned to respectively enter said openings andcooperating with said blade to retain it in an assembled relation tosaid hook, and line attaching means connected to said retaining lug andcooperating with that lug to maintain said blade in an assembledrelation thereto.

6. A sh lure comprising a blade, a hook having a shank, a connector headhngedly joining said blade and hook together at their front ends andincluding a retaining arm adapted to be moved into and out of acontiguous relation to said shank and provided with a retaining lug onwhich said blade is carried for movement along with said arm, andretaining means including a spring finger between which and said shanksaid retaining arm is adapted to enter as it is moved into a contiguousrelation to said shank and by which in cooperation with said shank saidarm is temporarily maintained together with said blade in a contiguousrelation to said shank.

7. A fish lure comprising a blade having at one end thereof a pluralityof openings laterally spaced from each other, a hook having a shank andadapted to be associated with said blade to effect a plurality ofdistinct assembly relationships corresponding in number to the number ofsaid openings, a connector head hingedly joining said blade and hooktogether at their front ends and including a retaining arm adapted to bemoved into and out of a contiguous relation to said shank and'providedwith a retaining lug dimensioned to respectively enter said openings andon which said blade is carried for movement along with said arm, andretaining means including a spring finger between which and said shanksaid retaining arm is adapted to enter as it is moved into a contiguousrelation to said shank and by which in cooperation with said shank saidarm is temporarily maintained together with said blade in a contiguousrelation to said shank.

8. For use in a sh lure of the type wherein a pork rind is employed, ash hook having a shank looped to provide an eye in conjunction with anger extending rearwardly from said eye toward the bend of the hook andterminating in an arbor disposed transversely of said shaft and carryinga button-like element adapted to receive and facilitate the fastening ofa pork rind strip in a contiguous relation to said shank.

9. For use in a fish lure of the type wherein a pork rind is employed, ash hook having a shank looped to provide an eye in conjunction with anger extending rearwardly from said eye toward the bend of the hook andterminating in an arbor disposed transversely of said shaft and carryinga button-like element adapted to receive and facilitate the fastening ofa pork rind strip in a contiguous relation to said shank, saidbutton-like element consisting of a tubular rivet mounted on and securedto said arbor with its head portion in a spaced relation to said shank.

10. A fish lure comprising a blade having therein an opening, a hookadapted to be associated with said blade, a connector head carried bysaid hook and provided with a'retaining lug dimensioned to enter saidopening and cooperating with said blade to retain it in an assembledrelation to saidfhook, and line attaching means connected to saidretaining lug and cooperating with that lug to maintain said blade in anassembled relation thereto.

BRADFORD LINDSAY FAIRFAX.

